Being able to endure like a wildebeest should be one of the most admired and desired skills. The person who wins is often not the fastest or the one who comes in first, but the one who is willing to endure and finish the race.

We all have some persistence in us, but if you would like to improve your personal tenacity consider the following suggestions:

Establish strong, healthy relationships with close family members, friends or colleagues and be willing to accept their help and support.

Don’t look at any problem as overwhelming. You can’t change the fact that they happen, but you can change how you act and respond to them.

Don’t slow down, keep pressing onwards with realistic intermediate objectives and press on through difficulties, knowing when it is time to move ahead or step back, regroup and reenergize.

Avoid the temptation to be indecisive and or inflexible. You need to take decisions to move forward and circumstances continuously change.

Continuously look for opportunities to learn more about you; your strengths and weaknesses, why you tend to do or not do something and how you generally react and respond to certain situations.

Evaluate the stressful situations you encounter in your life in a broader context — the bigger picture — and always keep a long-term perspective in mind. Remember to never, never underestimate the value of tenacity and staying the course.

Stefan Swanepoel - Stefan Swanepoel’s life has been a “Serengeti journey”—from his birth in Kenya to schooling in Hong Kong and South Africa eventually, running a New York-based global franchise network with 25,000 sales associates in 30 countries. In all he has served as president of seven companies and two non-profit organizations.